Origins
by mima1216
Summary: Chaos erupts when one of L's young successors goes missing. As one clue leads to another, L finds himself and those around him in more danger than the situation called for. T for violence and language. R
1. Phone Call

**A/N: Hi guys! :D**

**This is my first posted Death Note fan fiction. I'm so excited! XD YEAH! GO DEATH NOTE! **

**I'd normally explain how I got the idea for the story, but it's a little difficult to put into understandable words at the moment. This idea pretty much gradually evolved from other ideas, mainly having to do with the mafia kidnapping people. I also have an excessive amount of CSI to thank! Best show ever! (Besides Death Note ;P)**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Death Note or any of it's characters. I also don't own marshmallows, sour patch kids, Family Guy, or George Clooney. I do own a couple people in this chapter, though. You'll know who they are.  
**

**NOTE: This is, as well, my first time writing in third person... And I'm still getting used to it. I prefer first person, so bear with me. ^^'  
**

**Hope you enjoy!

* * *

**

_Phone Call_

"It seems you were correct, Ms. Bridges." The mysterious detective spoke clearly to the laptop so his synthetic voice on the other side could easily be understood. "This suicide that your old client attempted was, in fact, murder. It's obvious to tell from the cut on her foot. It seems to have been made around the same time as the stab wound was made. Although there were no signs of struggle, the cuts show that after the killer had her stab herself and the knife was dropped, she stepped in the direction her killer ran off too. She stepped directly on the knife. Normal suicide attempts tend to fail, with the victim heading in the direction of the phone to call for help. But the phone was located behind her. Judging by where the knife was left and the depth of the cut, there is a 71% chance that this is the scenario." He paused. "Or, at least, that is my best theory. I'm sorry I am unable to help you any further, for you have only asked me for my outlook on the case."

The brunette woman on the other side of the line nodded. "Thank you, L. I knew Ramona had no reason to end her life like that. She had too much pride."

"If the victim had as much pride as you say, than she definitely would have turned for the phone." L confirmed. "You can pass on my thoughts to the rest of your team. I wish you luck in finding the killer if my theory is correct." Before the brunette had the chance to reply, L cut off the call. He didn't want to waste his time conversing payment. He didn't feel the need to be rewarded for this particular case. It was probably the most least-challenging case he had received all month. Not that any of the cases he had received in that month were very challenging.

L was beginning to think that police agencies were just using him so they didn't have to think as much. He thought about changing his image around a bit. Maybe he could make himself exclusive, only taking on cases he takes personal interest in. That would make him seem more serious about his work. Taking on other people's personal issues isn't what he was a detective for. That was for the everyday detectives whom you could easily find in an open office. Not for the world's greatest known detective.

L picked up one of his many cell phones and pressed "1" on speed dial. Using two fingers, he hand the phone to the side of his face. "Watari," L greeted his handler through the phone after he picked up. "I need you to return to the hotel immediately. I'm ready to check out."

"Yes, L." Watari replied calmly. L closed the phone and set it down on the table. He and Watari had been switching hotels every month. They used to do switch every week, but since no big cases have come up lately, there hasn't been a need.

The detective waited patiently for Watari's return, stuffing a variety of different sugar-filled snacks into his mouth. He started stacking different colored marshmallows one by one, until he was able to build a castle out of fluffy rainbow sugary delight. He used sour patch kids to guard the castle. Soon enough, it was all set for him to attack. He knocked down the guards one by one, plopping each into his mouth as he went.

Just as he was about to break down the front entrance, there was a small, high-pitched, irritating beeping sound. L's eyes darted to the cell phone on the table. He sighed deeply. The caller ID read "Private". The tired man considered ignoring it, but then he realized; this was the phone he used to contact Watari. And it was for that purpose only. The number was practically confidential information. The thought lingered in his mind as he reached for the phone. He opened it and held it to his ear.

"May I ask whom it is I am speaking with, please?" The detective asked the phone.

There was a short pause, then a middle-aged man's voice replied through the speaker. "Hello, sir, my name is Peter Griffin. By any chance would I be speaking with the great detective, L?"

"No, sir, my name is George Clooney." L responded in a serious tone. "And using the name of an obvious cartoon character as an alias isn't going to cover you very easily."

"I see, but it seems the same goes for you." The voice was obviously amused.

"Well, now I can tell you didn't call to offer me cookies." L confirmed. "I'm not even going to bother to ask how you got this number, Mr. Griffin. What do you want?"

The man who called himself "Peter Griffin" chuckled from the other end of the line. "I'm a man of reasonable business, detective." He explained, "And I'm working to achieve a certain goal. I believe it would do the United States a huge favor. To do that, I need to ask you to lend your brilliance to my team. But only if you are interested."

"You're going to have to go into a little more detail than that," L replied. "What is it exactly you are trying to achieve for the states?"

"Land," Griffin answered. "I hope to grant new land to increase population and expand for more elbow room. Hopefully this increase will help our economy aim for the better. That is my goal, as well as it is for the rest of my team."

L thought this through. He wasn't at all interested in helping achieve this goal of the man who mysteriously contacted him, but he was worried about how he was choosing his words. Like he was avoiding something. "And how do you hope to do this?"

"Create new open areas. How else?"

It was obvious now.

"You mean by getting rid of other countries."

There was a long pause from the other line.

"I under-estimated you, detective." Griffin finally spoke. "You're not the type that others can fool. But now I don't suppose you'd be interested, would you?"

"Not at all," L answered firmly, "I have no interest what-so-ever. I had no interest from the beginning. And I certainly do not agree with your method. The states are no longer colonies, land has long since not been an issue. So I bid you good luck, although I'm almost certain your plan in will fail. Goodbye, Mr. Griffin."

L was about to end the call when Griffin spoke. "Ah, but you are wrong."

The quirky detective froze for a minute, puzzled by the statement. "Would you explain?" He asked.

"No," Griffin replied coldly, "But all I can say is you _will _regret turning me down, detective."

The call ended.

L put the phone down. He stared at it curiously. He wasn't sure what to make of what the man on the other line had said. He would definitely act as a threat, but did he have the kind of power to become one? If this man somehow got access to the number of L's private phone, who's to say he doesn't have more information about him? The great detective began to worry for the first time in over a month.

L suddenly jumped as he heard the apartment door open, then close. He whirled around in his chair to see Watari entering the room. L sighed in relief. He'd forgotten about his handler.

"You seem tense, L." Watari noted almost immediately. L leaned back in his chair and nodded. "I just received a call from this phone," he picked the phone up from the table. "From a man who tried to convince me to join his organization to give the United States more land."

Watari's eyes widened. "How did he obtain the number?"

"I don't know," L bit his thumb nail in wonder. "That's what I'm worried about..."

The room was silent for about a minute. L managed to snap back to reality. He looked up. "We need to move on to a new location. I'll pack up my things." L hopped up from his seat and, stuffing his hands in his pockets and slouching over, made his way into the other room. He grabbed his suitcase off the ground and opened it. He started to collect all the candy from around the apartment and place them in the suitcase. He quickly organized it to his liking before closing and sealing it shut.

"Done." He exclaimed to himself.

Just as he was about to pick up the case, he remembered his laptop. He quickly scanned the room for it, noticing it sitting on the coffee table out of the corner of his eye. He approached the coffee table and sat on the couch, opening it up. There's no harm in checking for messages quickly.

L opened up his email. Of course, he didn't have many contacts, nor did he get many messages. He sometimes got emails from some of Watari's students, and sometimes from Roger Ruvie at Wammy's House, containing news of some kind. There was one new message. It was from Roger. There was no topic. _He must have been in a hurry, _L thought. He clicked on it.

As the message popped up onto the screen, L's eyes bulged in shock.

_N IS MISSING. PLEASE COME TO ENGLAND IMMEDIATELY.

* * *

_**A/N: NOOOO! MY NEAR IS MISSING! =O *cries***

**That was painful for me to write. I love Near too much to let him go... *sniff* :(**

**I really hope you enjoyed the beginning! Hang on, cause I got at least twenty pages of plot outline for this story! And it's gonna get good! :D**

**And REVIEW! Reviews always make a writer happy! :D :D :D**

**Have a super awesome day!**

**~Mima Roses**


	2. Missing

**A/N: Hi again!**

**I'm posting this chapter now because in about an hour, I'm leaving for our condo in North Conway (Not happy... ;-;) where there is no internet. It's a long weekend, so we're going to be back on Monday around noon. Too long to wait to update. **

**I'd like to note something about the two OCs in this chapter. Cassandra Rosary (Casey/Rose) is inspired by CSI's very own Wendy Simms, aka actress Liz Vassey. Like I said, most of this story is inspired by excessive amounts of CSI. And Richard Rosary (Ricky) is inspired by Glee's very own Kurt Hummel, aka actor Chris Colfer. Favorite character! ^-^  
**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Death Note or any of its characters. I only own Cassandra Rosary (Casey/Rose) and Richard Rosary (Ricky). **

**NOTE: I made some edits to the last chapter. It makes more sense now, and looks a LOT better! ^^ I also like the way I edited this chapter. Tip: Editing helps DRASTICALLY. :D Yay editing!**

**Read and Review! ;D**

* * *

_Missing_

Near was a nine-year-old boy with the IQ of almost 175. He had the appearance of a young albino with empty gray eyes. He always wore plain white pajamas, for he rarely went outside. He was number one at Wammy's House in Winchester, England, as well as L's number one successor.

And now, on September 3rd, 1999, at 3:30 PM, L was reading the boy's files, which were marked "MISSING".

And the detective already had a good idea of what happened to his successor.

_But all I can say is you _will_ regret turning me down, detective_.

He was already regretting it.

"He was kidnapped," L dropped the files onto the coffee table beside him. He and Watari had arrived in England that morning. As of now, they were sitting in Roger's office, who appeared very tense due to the situation.

"But how? He never goes outside. How would anyone even know of his existence if they've never seen him?"

"There must have been a leak of some kind," L hopped out of his chair, biting his thumb nail and slouching over. "But the more important matter is how did they get away with it? If Near never goes outside, and there's been no breaking and entering, how did the kidnappers manage to take him?"

Roger and Watari remained silent. They knew L had the answer.

"Because someone from the inside lead him out." L finished. "Someone in Wammy's House must have convinced him to go outside. If he were close enough to the gate, waiting accomplices would be able to take him without being noticed."

"But who would do something like that?" Roger asked.

"I don't believe it was a student," L explained, "A student wouldn't be able to convince him unless they dragged him out. Dragging him out would have attracted attention. There were no witnesses, so that obviously isn't the case. It must have been a superior. A staff member. There's a 82% chance."

Both Roger and Watari nodded. Although Roger believed in his staff and trusted them, he couldn't doubt L. He was usually right about these things. "Would you like to interrogate the staff?" He asked.

L shook his head. "Not yet." He said. "First, I want to see Mello."

Roger was surprised at this. "What does Mello have to do with this? Do you think he-?"

"Of course not. He definitely isn't responsible." L clarified. "But I do believe that since Near is involved, he may be as well. I have two likely successors, Roger. If the kidnappers were to go through all this trouble just to take one, then they wouldn't hesitate to take the other."

* * *

Mello was a ten-year-old boy with the IQ of almost 160. His hair was blond, and rather long for a boy. His bob cut was often mistaken for female hair, which, of course, did not please him. Although he was very intelligent, he had quite a temper. He was number two at Wammy's House in Winchester, England, as well as L's second place successor.

And now, on September 3rd, 1999, at 4:00 PM, L was sitting across from the boy in Roger's office while dropping countless amounts of sugar cubes into his own tea cup.

Mello was surprised to hear of Near's kidnapping. He had always wished the little albino twit would just turn up missing one day. He thought hearing the news would have given him joy. But hearing he was _kidnapped _felt different. It frightened him in a way.

"So... what does this have to do with me?" Mello asked. He hoped it didn't have anything to do with him.

L didn't answer right away. He stopped after dropping about eight sugar cubes into his tea cup, then lifted the cup and took a small sip. "Mmmm..." He seemed satisfied. He picked up the tea kettle by the handle with two fingers and held it out to Mello. "Care for some?"

Mello shook his head. "No thanks. I don't really drink tea..."

"Suit yourself," L set the kettle down onto the desk, placing the tea cup down along with it. He finally spoke. "I'm not going to lie to you, Mello. I believe, in this situation, Near isn't the only one in danger here."

It took Mello a second to realize what his mentor was implying. He gulped. "You think I...?"

"Just listen carefully, Mello," L instructed. "I can't trust any of the teachers or supervisors here at the moment, not even Roger. One of them, or maybe a few of them, may have something to do with Near's kidnapping. If any of the staff asks you any suspicious questions or asks you to go anywhere with them, come straight here to see me. Do you understand?"

Mello nodded quickly. He tried to appear confident, but really he was uncomfortable. It was bad enough that Near had somehow been taken, but knowing he was a target as well only increased his nerves. No boy his age would be comfortable in that situation. "What about Near...?" He asked. It seemed out of character of him to ask, but some part of him wanted to know.

"In a matter of time, with the right leads, I'm sure we'll be able to retrieve him sooner or later." L assured him. "You should head on back to class. Remember, report anything suspicious to me. Oh, and if I'm not in this office, then I'll be at the snack table in the common room. Alright?"

"Alright..." Mello slowly hopped out of his chair, a little uneasy. He wasn't sure he wanted to leave. He didn't feel very safe. But, following orders, he exited the office and headed off to class.

Right when the door closed, L snatched his cell phone off the desk.

"Watari, I need you to get in touch with the FBI. Tell them I need an agent. Have them send me all the agents' files. Yes. Have them send that agent here as fast as they can. Make sure they're free. Because I can't do this case alone."

* * *

It was Tuesday, September 1st, 8:00 AM. Cassandra Rosary made the common, but also fatal, mistake of forgetting to set her alarm for 6:00.

When she woke up to the sunlight shining directly in her eyes, she knew she was too late. There was no time. Almost immediately, she threw the covers off to the side, grabbed her robe, and bolted for the hall way. She busted through her son, Ricky's, bedroom door, just as she finished typing the cloth that held her robe in place. Ricky was still sound asleep, even after the huge crash Casey had made while in such a rush. She quickly grabbed his covers and yanked them off the sleeping teenager.

"Ricky, get up! We're both late!" She shouted. Ricky groaned and buried his head under his pillow. He had stayed up too late last night, and refused to get out of bed for anything.

"Richard Rosary, you get out of bed and get some clothes on before I yank that mattress right out from under you!" Casey scolded him. "It's the first day of school for you and a _very _important work day for mum, so get off your lazy butt and get ready!"

Ricky knew he couldn't argue with his mother. She was a very persuasive woman. He groggily threw the pillow off his head and sat up. He yawned. "What time is it?" He asked, rubbing his eye with the palm of his hand.

"Eight! Now get up!" Casey rushed out of the room, down the hall, and entered her own room once again. She rummaged through the closet for her work clothes. When she found them, she threw them on, not bothering to pick up the small night down she had tossed onto the carpet floor. After brushing her teeth and hair at top speed, applying a small amount of makeup, and grabbing her bag, she was in the kitchen frantically searching every corner for a quick breakfast. She grabbed two pieces of bread and stuffed them in her mouth. It was good enough. She grabbed two for Ricky and ran back for the stairs.

"RICKY!" She yelled. "HURRY UP!"

"GIVE ME A MINUTE!" Ricky shouted back from the bathroom. Casey tapped her foot impatiently as she waited. Finally, at 8:25 AM, both Casey and Ricky were buckled up in the cherry red Ferrari parked outside of the Rosary household. Casey backed out and bolted down the road, careful not to top the speed limit or cut off other cars.

Ricky held on as tight as he could to the door. He never liked going so fast. Especially in the Ferrari, which always made movement feel faster. His gaze turned to his mother. "I don't think it's going to be much different here, Mom." He told her.

Casey sighed. "Honey, all you have to do is be yourself. There's nothing wrong with that."

"Yeah, the last time I did that, I was pelted with _chick peas," _Ricky folded his arms, remembering his old school in Oregon. The worst years of his life.

"LA is full of different people," Casey explained as she veered into the high school parking lot. She stopped by the entrance. "There are a bunch of people like you in this town. Low lives have no reason to make fun of you."

Ricky didn't respond. He just grabbed his bag and exited the car, racing for the front door. Casey didn't have time to feel sorry for her son. She quickly sped out of the school parking lot and headed in the direction of the city.

It was 8:50 AM when she reached her new work building. She finally parked the car and rushed through the doors. She slowed her pace once she was inside. She stepped onto the elevator and hit the button labeled "Floor 23". She waited as a small jingle played from the speakers.

_Ding._

The doors opened, and the next thing she knew, she was entering her new work environment.

Casey was a very intelligent woman with a strong dedication to her work, so she normally approached everything with a serious complexion. But the sight of the crime lab baffled her. Not only was it almost a million times larger than the one she worked at in Oregon, but it was so _bright. _Sunlight practically flooded the place through the large windows covering the entire wall. You could clearly see _everything. _She deadpanned at the sight.

"Excuse me?" Casey nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard a voice interrupt her thoughts. She spun around. A tall, tan, dark haired man approached her. His expression was so welcoming, it almost made Casey smile. It spooked her a bit. Most of the workers back in Oregon were bitter and serious, which had ever so slightly rubbed off on her. "You must be the new detective from Oregon, Cassandra Rosary. My name is William Foster. I'm the chief." He reached his hand out for Casey to take. She took it.

"While working, it's just Rose," Casey said. "I'm sorry I'm late, sir. I had some trouble with my alarm clock this morning, and I had to drop my son off at school. It won't happen again."

"It's not a problem at all. It happens to everyone." William assured her. "Why don't I show you to your new work station."

Casey nodded. She followed William towards the corridors of the crime lab.

Little did Casey know, at that moment, her personal file had just finished processing through L's computer in England. L was curiously scanning the information on the woman. When he was finished, he saved the file.

"Cassandra Rosary. She will definitely be of great help."

* * *

**A/N: I didn't really leave much of a cliff hanger cause I'll be gone a while. I hope your happy with Cassandra, because she's gonna be sticking around for a looooong time. ^-^ And YAYS for Mello! XD  
**

**Also, a big thanks to Ms. Bright, who was the very first to ever review (and the only one so far XD) and was awesome enough to leave such an amazing one! You're the best! :D**

**Hope you enjoyed! Leave a review to show me you did! I'll post the next chapter right when I get back. I'm actually on chapter five at the moment, so you don't need to worry about late updates! :)**

**Have an awesome weekend! (And for those of you with a long weekend as well, have an awesome LONG weekend! :D)**

**~Mima Roses  
**


	3. Suspect

**A/N: Sorry, I said I'd update yesterday, but when I got back from North Conway I was really sick, so I went straight to sleep. But I'm better now. :)**

**Did you guys have an awesome weekend? Mine was okay, except for the fact I hiked a mountain... and I'm not a huge fan of the great out doors. It wasn't much fun for me, but at least it's over. XD**

**A new character appears in this chapter, so I'd like to note that Anna Carpenter was inspired by Katy Perry (with a German accent). I love making my characters have accents. It makes me feel better about me not being able to pull off any accents, LOL. XD**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Death Note or any of its characters. I only own Rose, Ricky, and Anna.**

**NOTE: This isn't that important, but for those of you who noticed a few typos, I FIXED THEM! XD  
**

**Read and review! ^-^

* * *

**

_Suspect_

Mello managed to get a total of two hours of sleep that night. It wasn't because he was scared for himself, but because he couldn't help but wonder what Near was going through at the moment. _What if it had been me first?_ He thought. _What would I be going through right now if it had been me first?_

He fell asleep at 2:00 AM, and woke up again at 4:00 AM. He was sick of trying to fall asleep again after that, so he decided to get out of bed. He headed for the door. When situations like this arose, he usually just relaxed in the common room. He knew he'd be sent back to his dorm if he were caught, but he didn't really care.

Mello exited his room and sauntered down the halls. He was careful not to disturb the sleeping children that lay behind each door he walked by. He finally reached the stairs, which lead straight to the common room.

The common room was basically the number one hang out area in Wammy's, aside from the front yard. It had a TV, couches, a piano, a stereo, games, a buffet of snacks, and all that fun stuff. When the Wammy kids were done studying, they'd hang out there.

Mello grabbed a chocolate bar from the snack table and hopped up on the couch. He grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, making sure the volume was turned down. He watched the news, for that's all that was really on at the moment. He he sat back and relaxed, taking a large bite out of the chocolate. Chocolate's always been his favorite food. He didn't exactly have a reason, he just enjoyed it.

Half an hour went by. It was still too early for anyone else to be up and about. When the sports update seemed to automatically switched to the middle of a murder investigation report, Mello knew he was dozing off. The comfort of the couch had forced him to start feeling tired again. He tossed aside the chocolate wrapper and lay himself down horizontally, trying to keep his eyes open. He was practically asleep when the door suddenly opened, then closed.

"Mello?"

Mello lifted his head to face the door. There stood Anna, one of Roger's assistant. She, along with two other women, took care of those between the ages of five and eleven. She had long, shiny black hair, leaf green eyes, and a strong German accent (all of the women assisting Roger were from different parts of Europe). Mello was honestly too sleepy to care that she was in the room.

"What are you doing down here this early?" She asked in concern.

"Trying to sleep..." Mello lay his head down again, hoping she would just leave him alone so she could do her job and check on the other students in their rooms.

"You shouldn't be sleeping on the couch," Anna approached him, "Come on, I'll take you to bed, okay?"

Mello rolled over to face away from her. "I'm fine where I am..." He mumbled, irritated.

Anna didn't seem to care where he felt comfortable. "Come on," she took his arm and pulled him up. Mello tried to brush her away, but her grip was surprisingly tight. He sighed, feeling violated in a way. "Fine..." He let her lead him to the door.

He wasn't conscious enough to notice it wasn't the right door.

* * *

L had not spent a single second of the night in slumber. Not that it wasn't natural for him. Sleep was never a burden for the insomniac.

While the Wammy children were sleeping in their dorms above his head, L was wide awake on his laptop in Roger's office, which he practically declared his guest room.

He had been researching Cassandra Rosary, whom he had taken a deep interest in. She wasn't an FBI agent, but she was a very impressive detective. Her record was flawless. The cases she had taken on were unbelievable. L wasn't usually impressed, but this was different. He liked what he was seeing.

He checked the time. 4:30 AM. In Los Angeles that would be... 8:30 PM.

Perfect timing.

It took a few minutes before there was a click at the other end.

_"Detective Rose speaking."_

"This is L."

Silence.

_"... Can you prove this?"_

"I have your detective profile. You're name is Cassandra Olivia Rosary, you originally worked as an officer in Salem, Oregon, but then you became a top detective after solving what was known as the Bronze Key Case, which was not released to the press. You recently moved you and your son, Richard, to Los Angeles, California. You are thirty-three years old, and you divorced your husband, Owen Rosary, three years ago just before he passed away in a fatal car accident. To your friends, you are Casey. At work, you are Rose. Is this correct?"

There was a pause, then a faint clicking sound. She had shut the door. _"It's an honor, L." _She sounded shocked.

"I'm impressed with your record, Ms. Rosary." L complimented as he scanned the profile yet again.

_"Thank you," _Rose replied. _"Please, just call me Rose."_

"I'm in a situation that is very personal, Rose." L explained. "And I can't do it alone. I need help. But before I give you any information, I need to make sure there's no way it can be leaked. I can't tell you over the phone, for conversations can easily be revived these days. We need to meet face to face."

_"Face to face?" _Rose repeated. She didn't know much about the detective L, but she did know he _never _showed his face to _anyone. _Was he serious about this?

"I will send you the address to my current whereabouts through Watari," L continued, "He will arrive at your office tomorrow and hand you the information. Once you're out of work, you'll head straight for the location. Does this work for you, Rose?"

_"... I don't really have much of a choice, do I?"_

L smiled slightly as he was reminded of the FBI agent Naomi Misora, who had muttered the same words when he first contacted her. He stayed silent.

Rose sighed. _"Alright, that's fine. Thank you, L."_

"No, thank you. I will see you soon."

He disconnected the call.

L was about to contact Watari and give him direction, when a loud scream coming from the corridors made his head snap up.

* * *

_WAKE UP! RUN!_

Mello's conscience suddenly screamed in his head. He jolted fully awake. Just in time, too. When his vision was clear, he realized he was standing before the front door of Wammy's House. He saw Anna was trying to _lead him through it. _He jerked his arm away from her grasp. She turned around, gasping in shock.

"Where are you taking me?" Mello jumped back, panicking. He remembered L's words; _If any of the staff asks you any suspicious questions or asks you to go anywhere with them, come straight here to see me. _

Anna was surprised to see he was now conscious. She stepped forward, trying to calm him down. "It's fine, honey, trust me! Just come outside with me."

Mello's eyes widened as he took two steps back. "No way! Leave me alone!" He spun on his heels and took off down the hall. He headed straight for Roger's office.

Anna groaned in frustration. Her eyes narrowed as she began to bolt after him. Her patience was up. "Get back here!" She shouted, not caring who heard her.

Unfortunately for the sprinting boy, Anna had experience with chasing young orphans. She took care of children ages five through eleven, the children that enjoy running away the most. She was practically trained to catch them. So it wasn't hard for her to catch up to the young boy and grab him before he could reach the office. If she was fast enough, she could get him through the door before anyone could stop her.

Mello screamed as loud as he could. She was too strong to fight. All he could do is hope someone could hear him. He struggled violently as his captor rushed for the exit. Her hand was just inches from the handle when she was knocked to the ground.

Mello slipped out of Anna's arms as she was pinned to the ground. L was on top of her, holding her down with all his strength. She struggled under his grip, trying to kick him off. But the detective was too strong for her.

The lights were on. Roger appeared at the scene, a gun in his hand. The old man didn't usually carry the gun around, but he had panicked when he had heard a student scream. Elise, another one of his assistants, was close behind him.

"Mon dieu!" Elise gasped when she saw her friend being pinned down by L himself. It was French for, "My goodness!"

"What's going on here?" Roger shouted angrily. He didn't like to be woken earlier than seven in the morning. He hoped for a good reason.

L pulled Anna off the floor, still grasping tightly on her left wrist. "I believe we have a prime suspect to this investigation, don't we, Ms. Carpenter?"

Everyone turned to the door as they heard the sound of tires screeching from outside as a van sped off down the street. L turned to Anna. "Looks like you were too late."

* * *

**A/N: Go L and his awesome guy-strength! I wish I were strong enough to hold a person down. Only in Mima's dreams... haha! :)**

**Thanks to the forever awesome Ms. Bright and shadow assasin101 for their amazing reviews! You guys rock! :D**

**Now I'm gonna ask you guys a question. This is for Glee fans, since I'm about to watch the new episode tonight, and I'm UBER excited about it (obsessed)! You guys know Sam, the kid with the blond hair and the HUGE mouth from the second season premiere? Well, I have a prediction that he's going to end up with Kurt, since I read in a magazine that Kurt's gonna get a boyfriend this season. I'm betting my money on this. Who agrees? Let me know. XD**

**Review to let me know you enjoyed it! :)**

**~Mima Roses  
**


	4. Partners

**A/N: Aloha!**

**Okay, I'm sorry this update is late. I was going to update Friday night, but then I went to a restaurant with two of my friends and ate some REALLY nasty food that gave me a stomach bug, and I was throwing up for two days straight. I did go on the computer, but I was basically on Facebook chatting with friends the whole time cause I wasn't in the mood for editing the chapter. On Monday I had a lot of homework, on Tuesday I had to finish a book report book and finish my homework, and tonight I finally update. Sorry my sickness got in the way. I'm never going back to that stinkin' restaurant ever again. :P**

**Anyways, I make it up to you by not leaving that much of an epic cliff hanger. :)**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Death Note or any of its characters. In this chapter, I only own Rose, Ricky, Anna, and Nora. **

**Please forgive me for updating late! Enjoy, read, and review! ^-^

* * *

**

_Partners_

Rose inhaled deeply as she stared at the clock on the wall, then the envelope on her desk. She discovered it when she arrived back from her lunch break. It was just sitting on the keyboard of her laptop when she had opened it.

_Wammy's House  
74 Lansdowne Avenue  
Winchester, England SO23_

_Tell them Watari sent you._

A flight to England would be almost eight hours. It was too far from Los Angeles. This forced Rose to reconsider for a second, until she remembered it wasn't up to her anymore. She's had already chosen to meet L at the location given. It was too late to change plans.

Rose didn't want to leave Ricky alone of all things. When she had picked him up from school he was more depressed than usual. She tried her best to get his mind off of his first day, but he only stormed up to his room and locked the door. She had only told him she was leaving that morning. He had strongly protested. She had never seen him so furious.

The tired woman glanced up at the clock again. It was time to pick up her son from school, then head to the airport. She stood up and packed up her things, exiting her office and locking the door behind her.

"Here we go..." She sighed under her breath as she headed for the elevator.

* * *

Anna Carpenter was born and raised in Augsburg, Germany with an abandoned single mother, four sisters, and three brothers. Since she was the oldest, her exhausted mother was always nagging her to help her with all the chores. But Anna didn't want to do chores. The more her mother barked at her to help, the more Anna rebelled. She became _extremely _stubborn due to this, which made it almost impossible for L to get any information out of the young woman.

She was as quiet as a mouse. She did nothing but sit there, her narrowed, leafy eyes burning straight into the detective's skull. The tensity in them slightly disturbed him. It was like she was a silent statue glaring into his soul.

L gave up. He had tried everything. It was useless.

It was the morning of Thursday, September 5th, the day after Anna Carpenter's arrest. Watari finally arrived back from Los Angeles after delivering the location of Wammy's House to Cassandra Rosary. He entered Roger's office to find the great detective L standing in the center of the room, staring at the ceiling.

"Ms. Rosary should arrive soon," Watari informed him.

L's gaze snapped to Watari. "Perfect timing. I've already got a job for her."

That afternoon in the secretary office, Nora, a young woman from Tommungs, Sweden, answered a buzz coming from the Wammy's House gate. She turned her microphone on. "Please state your name and business." She said calmly.

_"Cassandra Rosary." _The woman at the gate said. _"I'm from Los Angeles. I was asked to come here by a man named Watari."_

_ Watari. _That was always the key word. Whenever someone approached the gates of Wammy's House that Nora was not warned about, she listened for Watari's name. If it didn't come up, she'd tell them to have a nice day. Nora smiled lightly, though aware the visitor couldn't see her. "Wait right there." She ordered, switching off the microphone. She got up from her chair, grabbed the large key hanging from the wall to her left, and exited the office, sauntering through the corridors until she reached the front doors.

Once outside, she headed for the gate, clutching the key in the palm of her hand. She smiled at the brown-haired woman waiting at the other side. "I'll open the gate for you," Nora told her.

Holding the two gates together was a large padlock. Nora took the padlock and stuck the key in the hole, turning it, then pulling it out. It unlatched. Nora then pulled one of the gates open, signaling for Cassandra Rosary to enter. She did so. Nora closed the gate behind her, securing the padlock back in it's place.

"I'm sorry that took so long," She apologized, "We plan on installing an automatic lock sometime in the future, but for now, this is all we have."

Rose shook her head. "It's no problem at all."

"Let me take you where you need to be, Ms. Rosary." Nora lead Rose to the front entrance.

Rose took in the inside of the building with great interest. It felt warm, like home. She guessed it was supposed to feel that way to make the orphans feel more comfortable. It was nice.

But why would L want to meet her here, of all places?

Rose continued to follow Nora down the hall, unsure of where she was going. She noticed that children of various ages would run by every once in a while, either laughing or panting. It only made Rose wonder more.

Nora stopped at the door to Roger's office. She turned to Rose. "Just go right on in." She smiled warmly before she turned and left the Los Angeles detective standing in front of the door.

Rose knew someone was waiting for her beyond the wooden frame. Was it L? _Only one way to find out, _she thought as she clutched the handle and turned it gently, pushing the door open.

When she entered the room, the first thing that caught her off guard was a man sitting at the desk. He was an extremely pale Japanese man with large, gray panda eyes that had black rings circled under them, as if he never had an inch of sleep in his life. His raven black hair was a complete mess on his head, which matched his posture. His feet were up on the chair, and the palms of his hands were rested on his knee caps. His appearance made it difficult to determine his age, but Rose guessed around twenty or so. His gaze met hers the second she walked in the room.

It took Rose a moment to notice the child sitting next to him. He was a small blond boy, maybe around ten or eleven. He had kind of a feminine bob cut that ended just above his shoulders, but Rose could tell from his face that he wasn't a girl. He was sitting in a computer desk chair, which gave him the liberty to spin in circles as many times as he wanted. He didn't stop, not even when Rose entered the room. Both of the boys were eating chocolate bars.

Rose was prepared to stand there awkwardly and just stare at the two, but the raven haired man broke the silence by gesturing to the chair in front of the desk. "Please, take a seat, Rose."

The mildly disturbed woman approached the seat offered to her and obeyed. The man stuck out his arm to grab the chair the young boy was spinning in, stopping it in it's tracks. The boy sat still.

Suddenly, realization slapped Rose across the face. Her eyes widened at the man. "Are you L?" She asked in shock.

He snapped off a piece of his chocolate bar with his surprisingly white teeth. Once he swallowed, he spoke. "Yes. I'm glad you were able to make it."

Rose was still surprised. Truthfully, she didn't exactly believe L when he told her they'd meet face to face. She expected a conversation with a computer screen, like all the others. But she was wrong. She was sitting right in front of the true L, the human being. His appearance was suddenly making sense to her. He was some sort of a mad genius.

L picked up a tea kettle that had been sitting on the side of the desk with two fingers and poured some into the cup that sat before him, taking another bite of his chocolate. He then held it out to the cup that sat before Rose, which she had not noticed until now. "Care for some?"

"Um... Yes, please." Rose nodded. L poured some of the tea into her cup, then placed it back in its rightful spot. Rose took a sip. When she put down her cup, she noticed L was staring at her in utter shock.

"What?" She asked, taken aback.

"You don't put sugar in your tea?" His tone made it sound like a crime. Rose instinctively leaned away from the detective a little bit, shaking her head slowly. She didn't like sugar at all. Too sweet for her.

"But without sugar, it's so bland..." L reached for the bowl of sugar cubes, grabbing a handful and dropping it into his tea all at once, then stirring it slowly.

Rose shifted uncomfortably in her chair, then finally spoke. "So what is this personal situation you spoke of, L?" She asked.

L took a small sip of his tea, then set both the cup and the chocolate bar down on the desk. He pointed to the top drawer on the boy's side of the desk. "Mello, could you get the file out of that drawer for me?" He asked the boy. Mello nodded and opened the drawer, pulling out the case file and handing them to L. "Thank you."

L turned his gaze to Rose. "This orphanage isn't just an orphanage for gifted children," L explained. "No one is supposed to know this, but it was actually established by Watari years old. It's true purpose is to train intelligent minds so one of them can become the next L after I'm gone." He held the thin folder out to Rose, who took it and opened it.

Clipped to the corner of the page by a paperclip was a photograph of a young boy with messy white hair and pale skin. His eyes were similar to L's panda eyes, only they were much more empty, almost completely drained of emotion. And Rose thought nothing could surprise her after witnessing L. But an emotionless albino child? She had never seen anything like it.

"This is Near," L continued, "His scores are higher than anyone else in the school. He's by far the most brilliant mind out of all, and one of two most likely to succeed me. About three days ago, he was kidnapped."

Rose looked up at L for a moment, then back at the file. She scanned the information.

RIVER, NATE  
CODENAME: NEAR  
DOB: AUGUST 24, 1990  
SEX: MALE  
RACE: CAUCASIAN  
DATE OF ARRIVAL: DECEMBER 13, 1995

"Tell me, Rose," L interrupted. "What is your son like?"

Rose's head snapped up to look at him. She seemed puzzled. "Ricky? Well... he's different." She didn't appear comfortable with the subject.

"I know, he's gay." L stated.

Rose sighed and nodded. "It's tough for him at school to..."

"That wasn't what I meant," L continued, "I meant what is your son like through your eyes?"

Rose nodded, understanding. "He's certainly special to me." She replied, "I'd give up my life for him if the situation ever called for it."

L nodded. "Like any mother would," He said, taking his last sip of tea. "Rose, I grew up in this orphanage. This is my home. I've always felt attached to the children here. They're like my family. I feel exactly the same about each of them as you do for Ricky. Which is why this situation is unacceptable to me. I'll do whatever I can to make sure Near is safe once again."

Rose looked down at the picture of the boy again, then back up at L. "So you want me to... solve the case?" She asked.

L shook his head in reply. "Not exactly," he clarified, "I request that you assist me with the case. We'll become partners. I'm desperate for help, and I think you're just the type of person I need. I know for a fact I can't do something like this alone, for it will require physical action, which I'm not used to. Does this work for you?"

Rose smiled and nodded. She felt more comfortable with the idea of working alongside him, rather than working for him. It made her see that this wasn't just another case to him; it was personal, and he was going to take serious action. "Alright then, L." She said, "What are you're leads on the case so far?"

L stuck his hand out, once again, to stop Mello from spinning in his chair. "This is Mello," he said, "He is the other of my two most likely successors, and is currently acting as my assistant. His rankings are the second highest on the charts. Yesterday, right after I contacted you, a plot to kidnap him was attempted, as well. We've arrested the culprit, whom we also believe is involved in Near's kidnapping. Turn the page," He pointed to the file that still rested in Rose's lap. She moved the young boy's profile to reveal the profile of a young woman with long, shiny black hair and leafy green eyes.

"That is Anna Carpenter," L explained as Rose scanned the data of the woman. "She is one of the orphanage handler, Roger's, assistants. She looks after a certain age group of orphans. She's currently being held in the Winchester Police Station for questioning. Unfortunately, she's an extremely stubborn woman. She won't give me any information, no matter what I do to try and make her crack. The problem is, I have little experience with interviewing suspects. I understand you are quite skilled in that field?"

Rose placed the papers back into the folder and closed it, placing it on the desk. "I'll see what I can do."

* * *

**A/N: Hm... I like that chapter for some strange reason.**

**Yes, Near's birthday is off by a year. His real birthday is August 24, 1991, but I kinda wanted him to be a year younger than Mello rather than two years younger. Eight seems too young to me. Nine seems just right. And if you notice, I purposely put Near's arrival date on Mello's sixth birthday. I feel bad for doing that, but I thought it was quite funny to do that to Mello. XD**

**I'll try to get to editing the next chapter sooner this time so I can update faster. I have a book report due soon, so it's kinda difficult, but I'll do my best. In the meantime, as we all know, HALLOWEEN is coming up! Yeeeaaahhh! :D I want to know if you peeps are dressing up, and if so, what are you gonna be? Who are you going with and where? What do you plan to do? I'm probably gonna go Trick-or-Treating with my friend in her neighborhood. I'm going to be an undead fairy, and she's going to be a zombie version of the skeleton guy on the cover of the My Chemical Romance album "Welcome to the Black Parade," because she loves MCR so much. And we might have a party... Who knows. :)**

**Anyways, review and have a super awesome day! :D**

**~Mima Roses  
**


	5. Interrogation

**A/N: Allo once again!**

**This chapter feels shorter than the others to me, but I just really wanted to get it over with. I was getting bored of writing it, so I was just like, "Yeah, I'm ending it here. I wanna make it to Chapter 6 alive." But I do like what I wrote. I hope you do too. :D**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Death Note or any of it's characters. Nor do I own Monchichi. In this chapter, I own Rose and Anna.

* * *

**

_Interrogation_

Anna was very still. Her wrist had been chained to the bench she sat on by a pair of handcuffs. She had been placed in there ever since L had given up pressing her for information. She could see she was getting somewhere. But she didn't show any signs of her inner triumph. She just sat there and waited.

Finally, the door to the cell opened. She looked up, her expression hardening. There stood a woman; a middle-aged brunette with dark eyes and a short pony tail. She looked down at Anna, a small smile on her lips.

"Guten abend," She greeted the young woman in German, "My name is Detective Rose Tyler. We may be spending a lot of time together, unless you choose to finally cooperate." Rose stepped into the cell, smirking at Anna. "Don't think it's going to be easy. I can go all day, all night, or even all week if I wanted to. Let's see how long you can go, shall we?"

A guard entered the room and removed the cuffs, reattaching them to both of Anna's wrists behind her back. He then lead her out of the cell. Rose stayed, watching as the prime suspect exited.

"That was interesting," L appeared at the doorway, hunched over, hands stuck in his pockets. "I'll take note of that technique." He turned his gaze to Rose. "There's something I should mention that's rather important before you go in there."

"What's that?" Rose asked.

"Before I was informed of Near's dissaperence, I received an anonymous call on my private cell phone." He pulled the phone out of his pocket, dangling it by the small Monchichi key chain attached to it. "It was a man who attempted to trick me into helping his cause expose of other countries, creating free land for the United States to claim. When I easily caught onto his trick and refused his offer, he said I'd regret it."

Rose folded her arms, thinking. "So... this whole situation just may be bait to get to you. Or revenge, maybe?"

"Maybe," L agreed, "There is a 68% chance. But there is also a good chance there is a greater purpose behind it." He stuffed the phone back in his pocket. "I'm counting on you to find out."

Rose nodded. "I'll do my best." She then exited the cell.

* * *

L watched Anna from the observation window. She was looking straight back at him, even though her side of the glass was a mirror reflection.

Although L didn't show any signs of emotion while arresting Anna, he was very disappointed. He, along with Roger and Watari, recruited her as a staff member because of her love for children and pure innocence. She rarely ever became angry with anyone. She did a fantastic job watching over the children and gaining the trust of everyone at Wammy's House.

And now, to see her bitter and handcuffed, a traitor rather than a trusted ally; it was disappointing, and nothing but.

"Watch carefully, Mello," he told his young successor, who was just able to see into the window by standing on his toes. "You're about to witness a skill that could be useful to you in the future when you take on your own cases."

"Awesome..." Mello was extremely fascinated by the working environment. It was like an exclusive field trip for him. Most of the Wammy's children had never been outside the gates, so obviously it was a big deal. The best part was, it was just for him, and not Near. The real reason he was there was because L still wasn't sure if Anna was the only spy working in the orphanage.

L turned his gaze back to the window as he noticed Rose enter the room. Almost immediately, she threw something at Anna. It hit her chest and fell onto her lap before she could catch it. To her surprise, it was a Twinkie.

Anna stared at Rose in confusion as she approached the table. "You haven't eaten in a couple of days, have you?" Rose took a seat, propping her elbows up on the table top, staring straight at the young woman from across the small space between them. "You may want to savor that. Like I said, this could go on for weeks, and that's all the food you're going to get until it's over. So I suggest to you we get this over with fast."

Anna tried her best not to show any signs of weakness, but she couldn't stop the sound of her stomach growling at the sight of the small, creamy yellow sponge. Her eyes widened as Rose smirked in triumph.

"One point for Rose..." L thought out loud.

Mello looked up at him with puzzled eyes. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"Anna is trying her best not to show any signs of her vulnerability," L explained, "She wants make us think she's an unmovable statue with no weaknesses, when in truth, she's scared of being cracked open. By exposing her to food, Rose was able to show Anna wasn't totally invulnerable. It's all a competition. Whoever collects the most points by the end hails victorious."

"Oh," Mello turned his attention back to the window, excited to know who would win.

Anna didn't moved. She wasn't going to let this bitch get her to crack so easily. Rose raised an eyebrow. "Come on," She pressed, "If you want to make it through this without starving to death, I suggest you take the opportunity. But," She held her palm out. "If you don't think you'll need it, give it back. I won't let good food go to waste."

Anna's stomach responded again. She was to hungry to care anymore. Frustrated, she ripped the plastic wrapping off of the angel cake and stuffed the whole thing in her mouth all at once. Rose was surprised she hadn't savored some for later, but she didn't show it.

Once she had swallowed, Anna tossed the plastic to the side and folded her arms. She sat back in her chair, glaring at Rose with piercing eyes.

"Here we go..." L sighed as he bit his thumb nail.

"Can they see us?" Mello asked, waving his hand over the glass.

L shook his head. "No, their side of the glass is reflected."

"Oh," Mello tapped the glass lightly with his finger. "If I knock on it, will they hear it?"

L grabbed the boy's hand and lowered it away from the glass. "Yes, but don't touch it. Carpenter doesn't need to know we're here."

It was quiet in the room, but the tension was increasing. Anna's eyes seemed to be burning through Rose's. But the experienced detective wasn't affected by the bitter woman's gaze. She simply folded her hands together and spoke. "It's a pity you didn't make it in time," She said, shrugging her shoulders. "Well, you can't always win with the same trick twice. I wonder why your accomplices didn't come in to help you? Do they not care about what happens to you? If they had, you wouldn't be stuck here with me. In fact, your plan would have been more successful if they had just broke in."

Anna stayed silent.

"Oh, wait, that's right. They couldn't do that, could they? There's that big strong padlock in the way." Rose remembered, "You would've had to open the gate from the inside. You stole the key from Nora, the secretary girl, didn't you? That makes sense. Since they couldn't get inside, and they feared being caught as well, they fled, leaving you to take the fall."

_Bastards... _Anna thought. But she stayed quiet, trying not to reveal her emotions. Her piercing gaze remained on Rose.

Rose continued casually. "You're first try was successful, though, wasn't it? You managed to get away with that poor little boy. Now why would someone be so cruel as to do something like that? What has he ever done to you? I wonder what your accomplices will do with him. Lock him up somewhere, torture him... maybe even kill him. He could already be dead."

_"They can't kill him..."_

Rose sat up straight, grinning slightly. Anna gasped lightly, realizing her mistake. Her thoughts were slipping out. All the bitterness that she had mustered into her gaze vanished, and she looked away from the clever woman's eyes. She knew she was now vulnerable.

"Nice work, Detective Rose." L gave Rose another point.

Rose leaned in. "What was that? I'm sorry, you were mumbling."

Anna didn't make a sound.

"So they _can't _kill him? Why not? Do they need him for something? Who exactly is _they? _So there's more than one, am I right? Is it some kind of organization?" Rose could tell Anna wasn't prepared to take much more of this. The stubborn twenty-four-year-old was sick of being over-powered by this cocky bitch. But she _had _to keep quiet. If she spoke, she'd be in so much trouble...

Rose was about to press more questions onto Anna, when suddenly her eye caught a small trace of color on the side of her neck.

"... Is that a tattoo?"

Anna gasped loudly. Her hand flew to her neck in panic, covering it with her palm. Rose narrowed her eyes, standing up from her chair. She moved around the table and stood next to Anna, her eyes not leaving her neck. She moved her long hair away and grabbed her hand, forcing it away.

There was color, but it was faint. Rose could tell it was obviously covered with makeup. But it was, no doubt, a permanent tattoo.

"I need a wet paper towel," Rose ordered the guard standing by the door. He nodded and exited, returning moments later with a moist paper towel from the bathroom. Rose took it, pressing it against Anna's neck. She held it there for a few seconds, then started to rub. The makeup came off easily. Rose's eyes widened when she saw the full tattoo.

e_x-GIMP_

"What is ex-GIMP?" Rose asked suspiciously. Anna only swatted her hand away and covered it, glaring. Rose stepped back, folding her arms. "Let me guess. It's the name of your organization? The ones who kidnapped Near, is that right?"

Anna didn't respond, but Rose could tell by the look on her face that she was correct. She grinned. "Well aright then, Anna Carpenter," She said, "It looks like you've given us a useful hint. I'm sure that will be enough from you. Congratulations, you're done here. Next stop is prison with charges of associating in a kidnapping plot." Rose nodded to the guard, who took Anna, locked the cuffs around her wrists, and lead her towards the door.

Rose's eyes followed the dark haired woman as she passed her. Anna stared back, her gaze as cold as ice. A small hiss escaped her lips before she made her exit. "Watch your back, detective. And L's as well. It will all be over soon."

The door closed.

* * *

**A/N: *Yawn* I'm so tired. I'm not gonna spend too much time on the ending... **

**So I really hope you enjoyed the chapter and the epic cliffhanger! I don't believe we'll be seeing Anna again... or _WILL WE? o.O_**

**I hope you all have a ****fantastic**** Halloween! I got a fabulous Lady Gaga costume I can't wait to wear. :)**

**I'm sorry, I'm so tired, I can't say anything else. So review and have an awesome Halloween and an awesome day! :D**

**~ Mima Roses  
**


End file.
